Drivers Ignore Texting Law, Police Issue Few Citations

Published 09/12 2012 09:41PM

Updated 09/12 2012 11:47PM

East Stroudsburg, Monroe County - Pennsylvania has had a texting while driving ban for about six months. But many people still text while behind the wheel. Billy Webb of Bangor said,"You see people a lot of times when I drive home from work I'll see people swerving on the highway."

Webb admits he has even been guilty himself. He explained, "You just hear your phone go off, you think maybe it's important. It's not normally important."

Many people say the law isn't stopping them. They don't worry because if they get pulled over it istough for police to prove they were actually texting. State Police have issued just about 100 tickets.

Since the texting ban is so hard to enforce one lawmaker plans to propose a bill this fall that would ban all hand held cell phone use while behind the wheel. Ferchel Ramos of East Stroudsburg supports the idea. She said,"When you're talking you are still like focused on whoever you are talking to and you're not going to be as focused on what you're doing."

Ramos believes people shouldn't wait for a law to change their behavior. She said,"You are sitting there jeopardizing my life and yours and anybody else around."

Larry White told Eyewitness News anti-texting commercials made him drive safer. He said,"The commercials really like inspired me not to do it because a lot of people have been killed over that and a lot of people have lost a lot of family members and never can get them back."